“Absolutely,” he said. “You think about it as a kid. You couldn’t wait for Monday Night Football. I couldn’t. See “Dandy Don” (Don Meredith), Howard Cosell, I mean it was phenomenal. Now to be sitting here and be on that stage, it’s the biggest stage every week. We just happen to be playing in a huge market, too, against a great ball club.

“If you can’t get up for this one, if you can’t get excited for Monday Night Football, I don’t know what you’ve got running through you, but they better check your pulse and see if you’re alive.”

The Colts are 20-15 on MNF. But they’ve lost the last three, including two in the Pagano Colts era. A 30-27 loss to Philadelphia at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 2 brings back disgusted memories as the Colts blew a 14-point lead at home. They lost 19-9 at San Diego last season.